Advancements in electromagnetic microwave absorbers: Ferrites and carbonaceous materials

Heightened levels of electromagnetic (EM) radiation emitted by electronic devices, communication equipment, and information processing technologies have become a significant concern recently. So, substantial efforts have been devoted for developing novel materials having high EM absorption properties. This critical review article provides an overview of the advancements in understanding and developing such materials. It delves into the interaction between EM radiation and absorbing materials, focusing on phenomena like multiple reflections, scattering, and polarization. Additionally, the study discusses various types of losses that impact microwave absorber performance, like magnetic loss, and dielectric loss. Each of these losses has distinct implications for microwave absorbers' effectiveness. Furthermore, the review offers detailed insights into different microwave-absorbing materials, such as metal composites, magnetic materials, conducting polymers, and carbonaceous materials (composites with carbon fiber, porous carbon, carbon nanotube, graphene oxide, etc.). Overall, it highlights the progress achieved in microwave-absorbing materials and emphasizes optimizing various loss mechanisms for enhanced performance.